Syrian army reclaims legendary Crusader castle from rebels (VIDEO)

The Syrian army secured the Crac des Chevaliers – one of greatest medieval castles in the world – on Friday after Assad's forces reclaimed the UNESCO World Heritage site from rebel fighters a day earlier.

The seizure of the castle is the latest in a
number of successes for the Syrian army over recent weeks,
including the capture of Yabroud on Sunday. Close to the Lebanese
border, Yabroud is considered a key supply line to and from
Syria. Syrian forces have also seized at least four towns and
villages near the Lebanese border in the past two weeks, AP
reported.

"Our efforts, those of the Syrian Arab Army and the National
Defense Forces, were crowned today by raising the Syrian flag on
the Crac des Chevaliers," an unnamed Syrian army colonel
told Al Mayadeen TV, a Lebanese broadcaster that aired footage of
Syrian soldiers at the site. "The battle had been going on
for more than a month during which several nearby villages were
liberated."

Syrian state television reported that troops "wiped out
terrorists who were entrenched in the castle,” according to
AP.

An activist from Homs, 25 miles away from the UNESCO site, told
AP the soldiers took the citadel earlier Thursday after
government forces agreed to give opposition fighters safe passage
to Lebanon. The activist, who went by the name Beibares Tellawi,
said the troops had previously captured the town of Hosn, which
is near the citadel.

Fighting around Hosn killed 12 fighters, including a local leader
of the Jund Al Sham Islamic group, according to the Britain-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Lebanese televisions named the deceased commander as Lebanese
national Abu Suleiman Dandashi.

Crac des Chevaliers is a Crusader castle built in the 12th
century. It was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2006, five years before it was captured by anti-Assad forces in
2011.

Damage to the Crac des Chevaliers and other cultural treasures in
Syria have repeatedly prompted condemnations from the United
Nations, which has called for a halt to the destruction of the
country’s cultural heritage.

In a recent joint statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, and the joint UN-Arab
League mediator on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said they have
received “alarming reports” that Syrian historical sites
have been purposely targeted during the three-year civil war.

"As the people of Syria continue to endure incalculable human
suffering and loss, their country's rich tapestry of cultural
heritage is being ripped to shreds," the statement said.

"Archaeological sites are being systematically looted and the
illicit trafficking of cultural objects has reached unprecedented
levels.”

The castle is one of six UNESCO World Heritage sites in Syria.
The officials said some have suffered "considerable and
sometimes irreversible damage."